Do you think you’ve got what it takes to make it in New York real estate? It’s not nearly as expensive or as time-consuming to get licensed as you’d think. Armed with what you learn in real estate school, you could be helping clients find office rental space in Manhattan or a horse farm near Albany in just a few months.
First, you need to find a New York real estate school that fits your needs, and we’re here to help you with that process. Here’s our guide of the best online real estate schools in New York. We’ve analyzed all the popular options in New York to offer you our best recommendations.
5 Best Online Real Estate Schools in New York 2021
| Online Real Estate School | ||
|---|---|---|
| Real Estate Express | Most affordable online real estate school | |
| Aceable Agent | ||
| New York Real Estate Institute | ||
| Mbition | ||
| Kaplan |
Helpful Information to Know Before Choosing a New York Real Estate School
Becoming a real estate agent in New York can be accomplished quickly and inexpensively. Here’s what you should expect from a quality New York real estate school.
Courses You Need Before Sitting for the Exam
The first step to becoming a real estate agent in New York is to enroll in the 75 hours of prelicensing courses required by the state. You must complete these classes before taking the exam. All of the schools on our list offer these classes, and we’ll help you choose the best school for your situation.
Courses That Help You Prepare for the Test
It may have been years since you last sat for an exam. Most soon-to-be real estate agents feel more comfortable facing the licensing exam after spending time with quality test prep materials. Some of the prelicensing packages mentioned in this article will include test prep materials, and others don’t.
Courses You Need to Stay Licensed
The first time you renew your real estate license, you’ll need to take 22.5 hours of continuing education courses. We know that you aren’t even thinking about renewing your license right now, but we mention it because some of the prelicensing education packages also include the continuing education (CE) courses you’ll need to take within two years.
Now that you know what you need to become licensed and stay licensed in New York, here are the schools you should consider.
Best Overall Online New York Real Estate School: Real Estate Express
Real Estate Express holds the top spot on our list for a number of reasons. This company exclusively offers online real estate education courses, and they’re good at what they do. They’ve created successful online real estate education programs for dozens of states, and each boasts high ratings from students.
The main reasons we chose Real Estate Express as our top pick is that their programs are affordable and expertly designed. The essential material is often repeated, so you have ample opportunities to learn it. Even though they’re a national company, you can still receive help from a state-approved instructor. Let’s learn more about the packages they offer so you can start your journey into a real estate career today.
Real Estate Express Pricing
Real Estate Express offers four prelicensing course packages for New York. We’ve listed each package at the regular price, but they often go on sale.
- The Basics $245: This entry-level package is for those who are “disciplined self-starters with some real estate experience.” You’ll receive the 75 hours of courses as well as three real estate e-books.
- Exam Preparation Package $309: We recommend the Exam Preparation Package from Real Estate Express. It includes some exam prep material as well as the Pass or Don’t Pay Guarantee. This guarantees that you’ll receive your money back for the package’s cost if you don’t pass the exam the first time you take it.
- Exam Preparation Plus $369: For $60 more, you’ll receive everything in the previous two packages plus have 40 hours per month of access to state-approved instructors. You’ll be able to ask questions regarding tricky material or items that you miss on the practice exams.
- Ultimate Learning Package $474: Even the highest-priced package from Real Estate Express is affordable. In this package, you’ll receive everything from the Exam Preparation Plus package as well as a printed textbook and a one-year membership with McKissock, a professional development company. With this membership, you’ll be able to complete the 22.5 hours of CE courses that are required to renew your license the first time.
Our Favorite Real Estate Express Feature: Affordability
There’s a big price difference between Real Estate Express and some of its competitors. If you purchase the Exam Preparation Package (which includes test prep material), your total expenses for a New York real estate license may be less than $400.
For less than the cost of one hour of college credit, you could be qualified to assist your clients with buying or selling millions of dollars’ worth of real estate.
Where Real Estate Express Could Improve
You may love how affordable Real Estate Express is, but you may not be sure you have the discipline to sit through 75 hours of complicated and sometimes dull material. If you know that you could learn better with a real-life instructor, consider enrolling in the New York Real Estate Institute. They offer live, online streaming courses.
Try Real Estate Express
Sign up for one of Real Estate Express’ New York prelicensing packages today. You can get started with your first lesson immediately after creating an account, and 75 hours later, you’ll be qualified to sit for the licensing exam.
Best New York Real Estate School for People on the Go: Aceable Agent
Aceable Agent was the first major online real estate school to invest in developing a mobile app for their program. This makes Aceable Agent the premier choice for people always on the go. If you’re the type of person who doesn’t waste even a moment of your day, you’ll appreciate Aceable Agent’s prelicensing courses.
With Aceable Agent, you won’t have to be tied to your laptop or desktop to complete your real estate classes. Since Aceable Agent allows you to switch among several different devices seamlessly, you’ll be able to complete a section on your subway commute and then pick up your laptop that evening to finish another lesson.
Users also like Aceable Agent’s interactive format and fresh, engaging content. You’ll have email access to certified real estate instructors, Monday to Friday, who can answer your questions about course content or the licensing process.
Aceable Agent Pricing
Aceable Agent offers one prelicensing package for New York. Like Real Estate Express, it’s very affordable.
- Online New York Real Estate Course $373: Aceable Agent’s package includes full access to their mobile app, which allows you to switch back and forth between your laptop (or desktop) and your Apple or Android phone. The program also comes with customized exam prep material. Even though their guarantee isn’t as impressive as some schools, they offer to give you your money back if you don’t pass the licensing exam after three attempts.
Our Favorite Aceable Agent Feature: Mobile Experience
If you have a fast-paced New York lifestyle and every minute of the day counts, you’ll love Aceable Agent’s app. You’ll be able to complete a section while waiting to pick up your kid from dance class or while riding in the back of an Uber.
Where Aceable Agent Could Improve
Aceable Agent provides the required coursework you need to sit for the real estate exam. However, their guarantee, which promises a refund after your third failed attempt at taking the exam, doesn’t inspire much confidence in their material. Their test prep material is definitely not the strongest we’ve seen, and they could do better in giving their students specific test-taking strategies.
If you are looking for a fast-paced program that allows you to get through the required coursework quickly, purchase one through Aceable Agent. Additionally, we would also recommend that you buy an exam prep program through Mbition.
Try Aceable Agent
If you’re always attached to your cell phone and have pockets of time throughout the day to complete lessons, consider enrolling in Aceable Agent’s prelicensing courses for New York.
Best New York Real Estate School for a Guaranteed Job: New York Real Estate Institute
New York Real Estate Institute has graduated over 100,000 students since opening in 1987, and they’re the only local company on our list. They originally opened to provide education to those interested in investment real estate, but they realized that their innovative scheduling would appeal to those interested in real estate as a career as well.
New York Real Estate Institute allows students to take their courses in any order. The classes are offered mornings, afternoons, evenings, and weekends, and the rotating schedule is designed to get you through the material within 10 days. Unlike any other schools on our list, they offer live, online courses. Plus, the New York Real Estate Institute guarantees you a job through their unique placement program.
New York Real Estate Institute Pricing
New York Real Estate Institute offers three packages. Here’s the breakdown of what’s included in each of them:
- Basic $495: This basic course includes two very important things. You’ll receive access to the 75 hours of their online (not live) course. You’ll also receive guaranteed job placement. Yes, the school promises to find a brokerage to hire you once you have your license.
- Professional $750: You’ll receive the courses and a job with the purchase of the Professional package. You’ll also get two group tutoring sessions, the Intro to Real Estate seminar, and a $50 credit to use for your continuing education courses.
- Platinum $995: This top-tier course will allow you to have access to live, online courses or in-person classes. You’ll also receive everything from the Professional package. Additionally, you’ll have unlimited access to group tutoring sessions, practice exams, a real estate textbook, and a personalized guidance/career counselor.
Our Favorite New York Real Estate Institute Feature: Guaranteed Job Placement
New York Real Estate Institute has many unique offerings, including live, online courses. While we like that their courses enable you to interact with instructors and other students, our favorite feature is the guaranteed job placement.
Regardless of your niche, New York Real Estate Institute has relationships with some of the top real estate brokerages in New York. They connect their graduates with employers at their daily job recruitment sessions.
Where New York Real Estate Institute Could Improve
Local real estate schools often don’t have the resources available to produce sleek, interactive online courses. While New York Real Estate Institute can give you access to real-life New York real estate agents, they may not be able to provide you with online classes with high-level production value.
If you’d like modern-looking interactive course material, consider purchasing a package from Real Estate Express or Mbition.
Try New York Real Estate Institute
Graduating over 100,000 students is an impressive statistic. New York Real Estate Institute must be doing something right. Get a guaranteed job and access to a live, streaming classroom when you choose New York Real Estate Institute.
Visit New York Real Estate Institute
Best New York Real Estate School for Exam Prep: Mbition
Mbition (previously OnCourse Learning) deserves a spot on our list for their quality exam prep materials. Since you can’t sell a brownstone in Queens without passing the New York licensing exam, having quality test prep materials is extremely important. But before we describe Mbition’s exam prep materials, let’s discuss other features of their prelicensing courses.
All three of Mbition’s packages include MathMaster, a program that walks you through the formulas and concepts you’ll be required to know to pass the licensing exam. The top two packages also have a “Pass the First Time Guarantee.” Their actual program features audio and video lessons as well as interviews with experts in the field.
Here are the package details:
Mbition Exam Prep Pricing
- New York Real Estate Pre-Licensing Silver Solution $229.99: We know this package is even cheaper than Real Estate’s Express’ affordable courses, but we don’t recommend that you choose it. It doesn’t come with exam prep, but you do receive access to the MathMaster program.
- New York Real Estate Pre-Licensing Gold Solution $294.99: Besides receiving the essential instruction and MathMaster program, you’ll also receive access to the New York Real Estate Exam Prep program. The company guarantees that you’ll pass the licensing test the first time you take it when utilizing this material or they’ll give you your money back.
- New York Real Estate Pre-Licensing Platinum Solution $344: You’ll receive everything from the previous two packages as well as extra test prep material that includes flashcards, topic review recordings, and additional study tips with this package. You’ll also receive a textbook that you can refer to if you need further help with learning difficult concepts.
Our Favorite Mbition Feature: Exam Prep
Mbition’s top two packages include quality exam prep, which uses adaptive learning technology to create individualized study plans. The program’s algorithm will keep track of which type of questions you miss most frequently on practice exams and will provide you with additional explanatory material on those subjects.
We also love that the Mbition’s test prep materials cover both national and state-specific topics. Many exam guides only cover questions from the national part of the exam, but this isn’t the case for Mbition’s New York package.
Where Mbition Could Improve
Mbition’s program focuses on getting you licensed. If you would like a program that also offers assistance in finding your real estate niche, marketing your business, and using real estate technology, consider checking out the packages offered by Kaplan. If you’re looking for a program that also offers job placement services, take a look at New York Real Estate Institute.
Try Mbition
You can purchase Mbition’s exam prep materials without buying a prelicensing package. Regardless of which company you choose for your prelicensing courses, there’s no time like the present to get started.
Best Online New York Real Estate School That Provides Career Resources: Kaplan
Kaplan has been helping students pass tests since 1938. All three of their packages include the 75 hours of prelicensing classes, a New York-specific real estate textbook, and access to a live, online study session. They also include an on-demand test prep course to give you that additional boost of confidence you’ll need right before taking the exam.
The reason why Kaplan made our list is that some of their packages will assist you in launching your career as a real estate agent. Let’s learn about those resources after we discuss the package pricing.
Kaplan Pricing
Kaplan offers three prelicensing packages for soon-to-be New York real estate agents.
- New York 75-Hour Salesperson Qualifying Course With Textbook and Master Exam Prep Package $509: This package comes with the prelicensing classes, a state-specific textbook, and the on-demand and live webinar exam prep courses.
- Career Launcher Package $709: Kaplan’s Career Launcher Package includes everything from the previous package as well as access to practice exams. Most importantly, it includes an eight-hour live, online course called Real Estate Accelerator. This course will provide you with business-building skills used by some of the nation’s most successful agents.
- Carnegie Career Launcher Package $909: Kaplan’s top-tier package includes access to Dale Carnegie’s classic course “Win Friends and Influence People.” You’ll learn how to succeed in real estate as well as life with this content.
Our Favorite Kaplan Feature: Career Resources
Your prelicensing courses will cover topics like real estate law, types of mortgages, and disclosure statements. They won’t discuss how to find your first clients, organize your schedule, or stage a home to make it shine.
We love Kaplan’s Career Launcher package because it supplements a test-only focus with the information you’ll need to successfully get your business off the ground. You’ll be able to pick the brains of some of the best real estate minds for eight hours in this live, online course. They’ll discuss marketing techniques and income plans that are never covered in prelicensing courses. Plus, you’ll be able to have this experience from the comfort of your own home.
Where Kaplan Could Improve
Kaplan’s prelicensing packages are expensive. We understand why you might be intrigued by the top two packages that Kaplan offers since they include access to the Career Launcher course. Still, the entry-level choice provides little more than you would get from Real Estate Express or Aceable Agent, and it costs hundreds of dollars more than those schools.
Try Kaplan
Learn how to be a real estate agent with Kaplan’s Career Launcher course. Even though this is the highest-priced package on our list, having access to mentors in the field is well worth the extra money.
Let Us Help You Build Your Career
In case you want a little more information about many of the schools on our New York Real Estate Schools list, make sure to check out our national guide for the best online providers in the country. If you’re looking for more details about the real estate licensing process, make sure to visit our comprehensive guide: How to Get a Real Estate License in 5 Easy Steps.
And, in the event that you’re not sure if you’re ready to jump into this industry full time just yet, we’ve got a great resource all about being a Successful Part-Time Real Estate Agent and knowing when it’s time to quit your day job and make the leap.
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